For many talent development professionals, the thought of launching a new department is incredibly exciting. It is also a ton of work. The excitement of leading the endeavor can quickly diminish if you are not constantly refocusing on the big picture and celebrating victories along the way. In this issue of TD at Work, David Macon, CPTD, provides strategies for successfully establishing a TD department. Further, he:

• Identifies internal and external factors to consider as you plan for the department.

• Outlines an approach for starting a team with short-, medium-, and long-term objectives in mind.

• Shares recommendations for establishing and leveraging strategic partnerships.

• Describes methods to increase efficiency and maximize impact.

• Reviews when and how to adjust your growth strategy to meet changing business needs.

Tools & Resources in this issue are an objective mapping template and an L&D department expansion assessment worksheet.